The internet is filled with the debate over broasted vs fried chicken.

Everyone is talking about which option is healthier, which cooks faster, which is tastier, and what is the broasted chicken process that makes it so unique.

Broasted chicken meaning lies within its less cooking time and three-step process (marinate, fry, pressure cook) which results in juicier and moist insides, a crunchy exterior, and its super-secret marinades.

Let’s dive into “What is broasted chicken” and settle the broasted chicken vs. fried chicken debate once and for all while unveiling the Broaster mystery and history.

What is Broasted Chicken?

As a big fan of chicken meat, I have always been enthralled by seeing ‘broasted’ chicken on any menu. But lately, I have been wondering what a broasted actually means.

Is broasted chicken fried? I mean it is definitely not fried chicken (we will get into broasted vs fried chicken debate in a minute).

The name suggests some amalgamation of broiled and roasted and, hence, I always settled with broasted as something closer to roasted chicken.

But you will be as surprised as I was, to know that broasted is closer to fried chicken than any other style of cooked chicken.

Yes! That was new info for me, too. But unlike fried chicken, broasted chicken is not cooked in a fryer but in a Broaster.

Let’s delve deeper into the Broaster history and find out all our broasted chicken facts for all the chicken lovers out there!

Solving the Broast Chicken Mystery & History:

History of how and why broaster was invented

Broasted chicken started off in Wisconsin by a scientist who, I am guessing, needed his fried chicken quickly as we all do.

Phelan was that scientist who had no time to lose for science and, hence, set out on a mission to fry chicken quicker.

Using laws of physics, he created machinery that used higher pressure and had an in-built fryer to create the juiciest and crispiest chicken known to man, the broasted chicken!

The machine was perfected in 1953 and was called the ‘Broaster.’

So basically, he combined a pressure cooker and deep fryer to create a faster and more efficient approach to cooking chicken and making it even more delicious.

Phelan called these pressure fryers Broasters and trademarked his product’s name.

Now menus all over the world serve the broasted chicken with the Phelan’s broasters and advertise them as ‘Broasted Chicken.’

The name ensures no trademark issues for the restaurant owners while keeping the chicken’s original identity alive.

Characteristics of a broasted chicken: Is Broasted Chicken Fried?

As shared above, broasted chicken meaning entails the juiciness of a roast while keeping that crispiness of a fried chicken.

Broaster’s owners made sure that the salty and juicy chicken could only be perfected in that machine with the right marinade and spices that they had devised themselves.

The Broaster Company started innovating and selling their machines all over the world with the perfect broast recipe to ensure customers get quick service with the perfect crispiness, saltiness, and juiciness as the broasted was made for.

The main characteristics of a broaster and broasted chicken are that: a) the pressure cook mechanism locks in the juices more efficiently, b) the oil is less consumed in this high heat situation with less time on the clock which makes it a bit healthier, and c) it takes much less time to cook the broasted chicken vs. the fried chicken.

How is Broasted Chicken Made? The Broasting process:

Before we move on to comparing broast chicken with its sister variations, let’s take a closer look at the broasting process itself.

The broaster combines the fryer with a pressure cooker which cuts down on cooking time. The latest and largest Broaster machine can cook seven good-sized chickens in ten minutes.

That is a party win for sure!

When the chicken is cooked quickly, the juices are not lost and are locked in. It also means the chicken absorbs fewer fat. The pressure locks in a chicken’s juices by searing it from the outside tremendously fast.

The outside is golden-brown and crunchy while the inside stays moist.

Their process has also been dubbed ‘flash cooking.’ Broasted chicken meaning does not just stop at pressure fried chicken.

A huge part of the broasting process is the special marinade trademarked with this food item.

A special spice blend is sold by Broaster company for that scrumptious taste and the batter is also a secret recipe that creates that luxurious golden exterior.

So, after marination, the chicken is first deep-fried for a minute in a high-pressure cooker to cook the exterior and seal in its juices as much as possible.

The lid of the broaster is then closed to create a pressure which makes sure that the juices stay inside the chicken.

The first step ensures that the chicken is sealed and less oil seeps in when the pressure cooking starts for the internal broasting process. What a famishing ordeal!

Is Broasted Chicken Breaded?

A broasted chicken is marinated in a mixture of seasonings, spices and flour batter. It is not covered in bread crumbs.

It is then cooked in a pressure cooker and deep-fried to perfection that cuts down on the amount of fat that would normally be absorbed in frying the chicken.

Broasted vs Fried chicken vs. Roasted Chicken:

If the broasted chicken’s meaning is still lost on you, we can compare the meat with its counterparts.

Difference between Broasted Chicken and Fried Chicken:

Broasted chicken vs fried chicken is an age-old debate. Fried chicken is just that, deep frying chicken in a wok or open pan or deep fryers with a high amount of oil.

It takes more time to achieve the crunch on the outside while frying.

For fried chicken, chicken is seasoned, rolled in batter and flour, and then fried in an open fryer or a wok.

It’s fried till the perfect crunchy outside is achieved.

Three undesirables happen in this process: a) the oil takes time to cook the chickens outside which means it absorbs more oil, b) due to overcooking, the insides become dry and less juicy, and, c) chicken cooked in this style may retain the taste of the oil it was cooked in which is not a great thing because imagine having fried chicken tasting like onion rings.

Although for broasts, the chicken is marinated in much the same manner, however, as the broasting process explained the pressure fry seals the chicken from absorbing too much oil and losing too much of its taste.

This means lower calories for the customer, less cook time, and lesser prices, which is a win-win-win for everyone.

Some people also fry chicken in beef tallow to give it more deep flavor.

Broasted vs Roasted Chicken

Coming to the third cooking alternative, roasting is basically cooking chicken at a low temperature in an oven.

Of course, roasting has more cooking time than both frying and broasting.

It also means that the outside of the roasted chicken is soft and light in color. There is no batter or marinade used in this method, hence, the rich, crunchy outside and golden color are not part of a roasted chicken.

Although it does give a juicy and moist inside if cooked properly, roasted chicken is more time-consuming to cook.

Although it might be one of the healthier options than fried chicken as well.

Which is the healthiest option? Broasted, Roasted Or Fried Chicken.

Definitely, broasted chicken wins this race in my eyes. I mean, you are looking at high quality protein with little to no fats in it.

According to Boat Basin Café, a 3 ounce broasted chicken breast serving consists of only “43 grams of trans fats.” Wings and thighs, when broasted, have around 14 to 24 grams of fat content in them.

That’s as healthy as a chicken can get!

Broasted vs Fried chicken facts:

– which cooks faster

Definitely, broasted chicken cooks faster.

– which absorbs oil more

The fried chicken absorbs more oil due to less pressure and more cooking time.

– which one is healthier

In broasted vs fried chicken, the former is far healthier and has fewer calories than the latter.

– which one is a home-friendly meal

Fried chicken wins this one as broaster is not a home-friendly machine and most restaurants own the machine for its efficiency purposes.

Fried chicken can be cooked anytime, anywhere.

Broasted chicken calories, carbs, and nutrition Fact

The (calorie) content is different for every cut of chicken because their sizes are so different. Below is broasted chicken calories vs fried chicken calories chart based on different cuts.

Nutrition Fact	Broasted Chicken Breast	Fried Chicken Breast
Calories	315 kcal	370 kcal
Carbs	5g	29g
Fats	9g	15g
Protein	45g	29g

1 Broasted chicken thigh calories – 290 kcal

1 Broasted chicken Wing calories – 160 kcal

1 Broasted chicken leg calories – 155 kcal

How to Reheat Broasted Chicken?

The best way to reheat roasted chicken is in the oven or an air fryer. Heating it in the microwave will make it moist and soggy.

Other methods, such as heating on a stove, can also dry the meat out if you’re not careful, making it tough or hard to chew.

Reheating broasted chicken is easy.

First, take it out of the fridge a few minutes before and let it come to room temp.

Turn on your oven and preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the chicken on a wire rack inside of the heated oven and let it bake for around 10-15 15 minutes or until it’s hot.

Reheat Braosted chicken should be perfectly crispy on the outside and ready to eat.

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